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OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION
CHAPTER 11
11.1 INTRODUCTION
During fault conditions, most power supplies have the potential to deliver higher output voltages than those normally specified or required. In unprotected equipment, it is possible for output voltages to be high enough to cause internal or external equipment damage. To protect the equipment under these abnormal conditions, it is common practice to provide some means of overvoltage protection within the power supply. Because TTL and other logic circuits are very vulnerable to overvoltages, it is industry standard practice to provide overvoltage protection on these outputs. Protection for other output voltages is usually provided as an optional extra, to be specified if required by the systems engineer (user).
FIG. 1.11.1 (a) SCR crowbar overvoltage protection circuit, applied to a simple linear regulator. (b) A more precise SCR crowbar protection circuit using a voltage comparator IC. (c) A specialized control IC driving an SCR crowbar.
powerful to sustain the short-circuit current condition for extended periods, or some external current limit, fuse, or circuit breaker must be actuated to remove the stress from the SCR. With linear regulator-type DC power supplies, SCR crowbar overvoltage protection is the normal protection method, and the simple circuit shown in Fig. 1.11.1a is often used. The linear regulator and crowbar operate as follows: The unregulated DC header voltage VH is reduced by a series transistor Q1 to provide a lower, regulated output voltage Vout. Amplifier A1 and resistors R1 and R2 provide the regulator voltage control, and transistor Q2 and current limiting resistor R1 provide the current limit protection.
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FIG. 1.11.1 (d) Typical performance characteristic of a delayed crowbar circuit. (e) Typical zener diode characteristic.
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The most catastrophic failure condition would be a short circuit of the series regulating device Q1, so that the higher unregulated header voltage VH is now presented to the output terminals. Under such fault conditions, both voltage control and current limit actions are lost, and the crowbar SCR must be activated to short-circuit the output terminals. In response to an overvoltage fault, the crowbar circuit responds as follows: As the voltage across the output terminals rises above the crowbar actuation voltage, zener diode ZD1 conducts driving current via R4 into the SCR gate delay capacitor C1. After a short delay period defined by the values of C1, R4 and the applied voltage, C1 will have charged to the gate firing voltage (0.6 V), and the SCR will conduct to short-circuit the output terminals via the low-value limiting resistor R5. However, a large current now flows from the unregulated DC input through the shunt-connected crowbar SCR. To prevent over-dissipation in the SCR, it is normal, in linear regulators, to fit a fuse FS1 or circuit breaker in the unregulated DC supply. If the series regulator device Q1 has failed, the fuse or circuit breaker now clears, to disconnect the prime source from the output before the crowbar SCR is destroyed. The design conditions for such a system are well defined. It is simply necessary to select an SCR crowbar or other shunt device that is guaranteed to survive the fuse or circuit breakers let-through energy. With SCRs and fuses, this let-through energy is normally defined in terms of the I 2t product, where I is the fault current and t the fuse or breaker clearance time. (See Part 1, Chap. 5.) Crowbar protection is often preferred and hence specified by the systems engineer because it is assumed to provide full protection (even for externally caused overvoltage conditions). However, full protection may not always be provided, and the systems engineer should be aware of possible anomalous conditions. In standard, off-the-shelf power supply designs, the crowbar SCR is chosen to protect the load from internal power supply faults. In most such cases, the maximum let-through energy under fault conditions has been defined by a suitably selected internal fuse. The power supply and load are thus 100% protected for internal fault conditions. However, in a complete power supply system, there may be external sources of power, which may become connected to the terminals of the SCR-protected power supply as a result of some system fault. Clearly, the fault current under these conditions can exceed the rating of the crowbar protection device, and the device may fail (open circuit), allowing the overvoltage condition to be presented to the load. Such external fault loading conditions cannot be anticipated by the power supply designer, and it is the responsibility of the systems engineer (user) to specify the worst-case fault condition so that suitable crowbar protection devices can be provided.
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of the power supply and the size of the transient load.) With a very fast acting crowbar, this common transient overvoltage condition can result in unnecessary crowbar operation and shutdown of the power supply. (The current limiting circuit would normally limit the fault current in this type of nuisance operation, so it usually would only require a power on-off recycling to restore the output.) To minimize such nuisance shutdowns, it is normal practice to provide a higher trip voltage and some delay time. Hence, in the simple crowbar circuit, a compromise choice must be made among operating voltage, delay time, and required protection. Figure 1.11.1d1 shows the response of a typical delayed crowbar to an overvoltage fault condition in a linear regulator. In this example, the regulator transistor Q1 has failed to a short circuit at instant t1. In this failure mode, the output voltage is rapidly increasing from the normal regulated terminal voltage V0 toward the unregulated header voltage VH at a rate defined by the loop inductance, the source resistance, and the size of the output capacitors C0. The crowbar has been set to operate at 5.5 V, which occurs at instant t2; however, because of the crowbar delay (t2 to t3) of 30 s (typical values), there is a voltage over-shoot. In the example shown, the rate of change of voltage on the output terminals is such that the crowbar operates before the output voltage has reached 6 V. At this time the output voltage is clamped to a low value Vc during the clearance time of the fuse (t3 to t4), at which time the voltage falls to zero. Hence, full protection of an external IC load would be provided. In this example the SCR delay time was selected to be compatible with the 20-s transient response typical of a linear regulator. Although this delay will prevent nuisance shutdowns, it is clear that if the maximum output voltage during the delay period is not to exceed the load rating (normally 6.25 for 5-V ICs), then the maximum dv/dt (rate of change of output voltage under fault conditions) must be specified. The power supply designer should examine the failure mode, because with small output capacitors and low fault source resistance, the dv/dt requirements may not be satisfied. Fortunately the source resistance need is often met by the inevitable resistance of the transformer, rectifier diodes, current sense resistors, and series fuse element.
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A much better arrangement is shown in Fig. 1.11.1b. In this circuit a precision reference is developed by integrated circuit reference ZD2 (TL 431 in this example). This, together with comparator amplifier IC1 and the voltage divider network R2, R3, defines the operating voltage for the SCR. In this arrangement, the operating voltage is well defined and independent of the SCR gate voltage variations. Also, R4 can have a much larger resistance, and the delay (time constant R4, C1) is also well defined. Because the maximum amplifier output voltage increases with applied voltage, the advantage of reduced delay at high overvoltage stress conditions is retained. This second technique is therefore recommended for more critical applications. Several dedicated overvoltage control ICs are also available; a typical example is shown in Fig. 1.11.1c. Take care to choose an IC specifically designed for this requirement, as some voltage control ICs will not operate correctly during the power-up transient (just when they may be most needed).
It should be remembered that when a voltage clamping device is employed, it is highly dissipative, and the source resistance must limit the current to acceptable levels. Hence, shunt clamping action can be used only where the source resistance (under failure conditions) is well defined and large. In many cases shunt protection of this type relies on the action of a separate current or power limiting circuit for its protective performance. An advantage of the clamp technique is that there is no delay in the voltage clamp action, and the circuit does not require resetting upon removal of the stress condition. Very
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often, overvoltage protection by clamp action is better fitted at the load end of the supply lines. In this position it becomes part of the load system design.
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FIG. 1.11.3 (a) OVP combination circuit, showing an active voltage clamp combined with an SCR crowbar. (b) Operating characteristics for the OVP combination circuit shown in (a).
If the current flowing in Q1 during a clamping period is large, the voltage across emitter resistor R6 will rapidly increase, increasing the voltage at point A. As a result, the delay time for SCR1 will be reduced to t3, and the shorter delay reduces the stress and overvoltage excursion on Q1. This is depicted by trace B in Fig. 1.11.3b. Finally, for highly stressful conditions where the current during the clamping period is very large, the voltage across R6 will be high enough to bring zener diode ZD3 into
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conduction, bypassing the normal delay network. SCR1 will operate almost immediately at t2, shutting down the supply. This is shown by trace C in the diagram. This circuit provides the ultimate in overvoltage protection, minimizing nuisance shutdowns by providing maximum delay for small, low-stress overvoltage transient conditions. The delay time is progressively reduced as the overvoltage stress becomes larger, and for a genuine failure, very little delay and overshoot is allowed. This technique should be considered as part of an overall system strategy, and the components selected to satisfy the maximum stress conditions.
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long-term current ratings. As previously explained, in the short term, the heat conduction effects are negligible, and very small amounts of total energy, if dissipated rapidly within the fuse element, are sufficient to cause fuse rupture. Such fuses have very low I2t ratings compared with their longer-term current ratings, and will more effectively protect the SCR and the external load. Figure 1.5.1 shows examples of the clearance current-time characteristics for typical slow-blow, normal-blow, and fast-blow fuses. It should be noted that although the long-term fusing current is 10 A in all cases, the short-term I2t ratings range from 42 at 10 ms for the fast fuse to over 6000 at 100 ms for the slow fuse. Since the crowbar SCR I2t rating must exceed the fuse I2t rating, it is clearly important to select both with care. It is also important to remember that the output capacitor in the power supply must be discharged by the crowbar SCR and is not within the fused part of the loop. Since the maximum current and di/dt of the SCR must also be satisfied, it is often necessary to fit a series limiting inductor or resistor in the anode of the SCR. (See R9 in Fig. 1.11.3a.) The I2t rating of the SCR must include sufficient margin to absorb the energy CV2 stored in the output capacitor, in addition to the fuse let-through energy. Finally, the possibility of a short circuit to other sources of energy external to the supply must be considered when selecting SCR ratings. It has been assumed in this example that the fuse is in a noninductive low-voltage loop. Hence the example has considered only the pre-arcing or melting energy. In high-voltage circuits or loops with high inductance, an arc will be drawn during clearance of the fuse element, increasing the I2t let-through energy. This effect must be considered when selecting the fuse and SCR.
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FIG. 1.11.4 Typical overvoltage shutdown protection circuit for SMPS. This circuit operates on the control circuit of the switchmode supply to shut down the converter during an overvoltage stress.
Voltage limiting circuitry may either latch, requiring a cycling of the supply input to reset, or be self-recovering, depending on application requirements. For example, the circuit shown in Fig. 1.11.4 may be made self-recovering by replacing SCR2 with a clamp transistor. Voltage limiting circuits come in many forms and must be configured to suit the overall circuit topology. In multiple-output applications, where independent secondary current limits or regulators are provided, the voltage limit circuit may act upon the current limit circuit to provide the overvoltage protection. Once again, the usual criterion is that a single component failure should not result in an overvoltage condition. Many techniques are used, and it is beyond the scope of this book to cover more than the bare essentials.
11.10 PROBLEMS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Why is output overvoltage protection often considered necessary? Name three types of overvoltage protection in common use. Explain where the three types of overvoltage protection may be used. What is the industry standard criterion for the reliability of overvoltage-protected circuits? Describe what is meant by crowbar overvoltage protection. Describe the problems normally encountered with a fast-acting crowbar protection circuit. List the disadvantages and advantages of a delayed overvoltage protection circuit. What can be done to reduce the problems of the delayed overvoltage protection circuit while retaining the advantages? 9. Explain the important criteria in fuse selection for SCR crowbar applications.
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OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION
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